If consumers were asked what are the top companies embedded in their daily lives, most would quickly list the top five as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. These five companies are counted among the world’s most valuable companies, worth trillions of dollars collectively. (Apple, alone, has a market capitalization of $800 billion, plus is rolling in billions of cash.) Four of these five companies are all in the top 10 most valuable global brands, with the fifth company ranked as number 15 in the 100 list.

Think about it: how do we shop, do research, write documents, and stay in touch with friends, family, and world events? What devices do we reach for and carry around continually? It would be difficult for today’s consumers to imagine a world without the technology from these companies. And it has all happened relatively quickly.

What do you use every day? And, can you do without it?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

Discuss the role of technology and branding in today’s world.

Poll students about the technologies they use the most. Tally the votes and see if their top companies matches the ones in this article.

Break students into five teams: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Have each team research facts about one of the companies.